The pros and cons of playing video games

Pros = when gaming, you are God in the game or the champion and the super hero of the day. And when you don’t like the outcome, you just restart or wipe out the loss. Now who wouldn’t want that power and escapism?

Cons: You actually think you are God and a super hero and somehow that seeps from subconscious into your consciousness. The bad? Spending so much time in front of the computer will definitely be detrimental to myopia levels and school grades! Moderation is the key.

Like any activity, video gaming if taken to the extreme can be detrimental. Are there pros? Yes, many in fact, but I’d admit most kids would not have the mental fortitude to understand why/how they’re playing the game. Video games offer tremendous valuable lessons to the kids, if only their guardians knew how.

To be fair, there are simply too many genres of video games on too many platforms. How one can find Minecraft or Civilization nefarious, amazes me. On the other hand, I’ve been told Candy Crush is an amazing educational game to keep kids occupied. OK, I’ll take that.

Parents need to be aware of what video games their kids are playing and how they spend their time playing it. Try forcing a 12year old boy playing Dota or League with his friends at computer shop to continue with his homework, mid-game. Good luck with that.

Parents who are not media savvy and have no tolerance for video games are going to develop communication issues with their kids, especially if they offer no alternative.

At the end of the day, like all forms of media, video games can both be a positive and negative stimulus. It’s up to the parents to expose them to the right games, and educating themselves on these games before exposing their children. Easier said than done, so the only answer falls back to moderation.